Yesterday would've been my dad's 61st birthday. I'm still having trouble believing that he's gone at times, so it obviously wasn't the easiest day. I wanted to honor him in some way, so I baked one of his favorites--salmon loaf. He'd make it the last time we were home and it was so good that I'd asked him for the recipe. After he died, I was given a package he'd intended to mail to me but never got around to--containing not only the salmon loaf recipe but also a can of pricey red salmon to use in it.
While in a baking mood, I also threw together a banana layer cake with cream cheese. While my dad was never one to turn down baked goods, lemon bars would've probably been his preference. However, finding cans of lemon frosting here is next to impossible, so banana cake it was.
I'm not going to continue with this post since I'm already getting teary again and can't afford to look like a raccoon upon arrival at work, but I will say that I'm just so thankful to have had such a wonderful man as my father for as long as I did. Happy Birthday, Dad.

Sushi making an attempt on the salmon loaf

Yeah, I realize that it kind of looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa....